Read Online Paradise Wild by Johanna Lindsey - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Johanna Lindsey
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curtained. To the passerby, the house looked like any other, but to the occupants inside, it was a hotbed of excitement. Fortunes could be won or lost here, and love affairs could continue in the strictest of privacy.
Corinne had never investigated the upper regions of the house. She sometimes wondered what it was like up there, but she had never found out. Russell had tried to get her to go up with him a few times—for a private drink, he would coax. But she was no fool. She knew what he wanted. But he just didn’t have the power to make her want it too.
It made Corinne sick one night when a girl’s screams were heard from upstairs, yet no one downstairs moved. No one had gone to the poor girl’s rescue.
Why, anything could happen on the second floor, even murder, for the two parts of the house were completely separate. It was a rule that no two couples could leave the gambling hall at the same time. That way, if a couple wished to slip upstairs for a few hours before going home, no one could witness it.
Corinne could see the sense in that rule, but it irked her, for she could just imagine the men in the gambling room speculating, when she left, on whether or not she went upstairs with her escort. It was a constant embarrassment to her.
Nine round tables filled the brightly lit room. The house did not supply dealers at each table, but the house did very well by collecting money from each player before each new game was played. Different games of chance were played at different tables. Corinne often preferred faro, a game in which each player took turnsbeing the banker, or black-jack, the deal passing with each new twenty-one. She had learned to judge the odds well in the latter, and was ecstatic whenever she was dealt a blackjack, the desired ace and face card which paid double and gave her the deal. But though she did well in blackjack, she liked the poker tables best of all. With a little trickery, she could bluff herself a winning hand.
Corinne loved to bluff in poker. She wore elegant, yet prim gowns for the express purpose of keeping her figure from distracting from her face. Her expressions fooled many a player. Once they caught onto her, though, she would change tactics and fool them again. Even Russell could not tell when she was bluffing.
Tonight Corinne felt lucky. She had already won three hands out of the first five. The others at her table, three gentlemen and a brashly dressed young woman, did not show exceptional skill. Russell went to play blackjack once he was assured that the men at Corinne’s table were interested in cards, and not in her.
“Draw poker,” the dealer called, and dealt five cards to each player.
The other gentleman next to Corinne opened, and after she examined her cards and found a straight possible, she called. One other player called, and when it was Corinne’s turn to draw, she took one card to fill her straight. It was not the card she wanted, but a slight raising of her eyelids said it was. The opener checked to her one card draw and Corinne bet the limit, then sat back and waited. The other player did not hesitate to fold, but the opener took a few minutes to make up his mind before he, too, dropped out.
Corinne threw in her cards and raked in the chips. She won quite a bit during the next hour, though withgood cards rather than bluffing. She was enjoying herself immensely until Jared Burk sat down at her table.
She was stunned to see him sitting there across from her, dressed in black evening attire, grinning sardonically. Corinne was mortified that he had found her here, after she had told him she would be spending a quiet evening at home. What must he think? Was that why he was grinning?
“Maybe my luck will change now, with new blood in the game,” said one of the players.
“Perhaps,” Jared replied smoothly. “But it is hard to entice lady luck away from a—lady.”
Corinne felt her cheeks flaming. She had detected the sarcasm in his voice.
“Five
Corinne had never investigated the upper regions of the house. She sometimes wondered what it was like up there, but she had never found out. Russell had tried to get her to go up with him a few times—for a private drink, he would coax. But she was no fool. She knew what he wanted. But he just didn’t have the power to make her want it too.
It made Corinne sick one night when a girl’s screams were heard from upstairs, yet no one downstairs moved. No one had gone to the poor girl’s rescue.
Why, anything could happen on the second floor, even murder, for the two parts of the house were completely separate. It was a rule that no two couples could leave the gambling hall at the same time. That way, if a couple wished to slip upstairs for a few hours before going home, no one could witness it.
Corinne could see the sense in that rule, but it irked her, for she could just imagine the men in the gambling room speculating, when she left, on whether or not she went upstairs with her escort. It was a constant embarrassment to her.
Nine round tables filled the brightly lit room. The house did not supply dealers at each table, but the house did very well by collecting money from each player before each new game was played. Different games of chance were played at different tables. Corinne often preferred faro, a game in which each player took turnsbeing the banker, or black-jack, the deal passing with each new twenty-one. She had learned to judge the odds well in the latter, and was ecstatic whenever she was dealt a blackjack, the desired ace and face card which paid double and gave her the deal. But though she did well in blackjack, she liked the poker tables best of all. With a little trickery, she could bluff herself a winning hand.
Corinne loved to bluff in poker. She wore elegant, yet prim gowns for the express purpose of keeping her figure from distracting from her face. Her expressions fooled many a player. Once they caught onto her, though, she would change tactics and fool them again. Even Russell could not tell when she was bluffing.
Tonight Corinne felt lucky. She had already won three hands out of the first five. The others at her table, three gentlemen and a brashly dressed young woman, did not show exceptional skill. Russell went to play blackjack once he was assured that the men at Corinne’s table were interested in cards, and not in her.
“Draw poker,” the dealer called, and dealt five cards to each player.
The other gentleman next to Corinne opened, and after she examined her cards and found a straight possible, she called. One other player called, and when it was Corinne’s turn to draw, she took one card to fill her straight. It was not the card she wanted, but a slight raising of her eyelids said it was. The opener checked to her one card draw and Corinne bet the limit, then sat back and waited. The other player did not hesitate to fold, but the opener took a few minutes to make up his mind before he, too, dropped out.
Corinne threw in her cards and raked in the chips. She won quite a bit during the next hour, though withgood cards rather than bluffing. She was enjoying herself immensely until Jared Burk sat down at her table.
She was stunned to see him sitting there across from her, dressed in black evening attire, grinning sardonically. Corinne was mortified that he had found her here, after she had told him she would be spending a quiet evening at home. What must he think? Was that why he was grinning?
“Maybe my luck will change now, with new blood in the game,” said one of the players.
“Perhaps,” Jared replied smoothly. “But it is hard to entice lady luck away from a—lady.”
Corinne felt her cheeks flaming. She had detected the sarcasm in his voice.
“Five
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